Awake… and sober

So then, we should not be sleeping like the others; we should be awake and sober…Do not restrain the Holy Spirit; do not despise inspired messages. Put all things to the test: keep what is good. (1 Tess 5: 6, 19-20).

What is vigilance? I would say: to be alert, to observe what happens in Israel and the rest of the world and put that next to Gods prophetic Word. Sobriety is: to face the facts, don’t underestimate and don’t overestimate. We must not despise the prophecies, but test them: that means that we ‘filter’ impure things in the light of Gods Word and in this way keep what is good. The recent pandemic has also exposed a whole other crisis: ‘What is true?’ Algorythms filter the news that you get to see, among other things based on your searching behaviour and interests: you only get to see the truth partly (the so-called filterbubble). Also, obscure powers are operating that spread disinformation (fake news, deepfake) to influence people. And so unsuspecting believers think they ‘discover’ obscure complots, where within their partial truth they keep getting affirmed. Without realizing it you get stuck in a trap, get misled and this way lose your sobriety…

How did the first believers respond to the events in their time? Did they also warn for people like (in our time) Bill Gates or Donald Trump? No, they preached the Gospel. But, is nothing at all going on then right now? Yes, there certainly is, but let us not get distracted of our goal too much!

PROPHECIES

Of the 66 Bible books, 17 are dedicated to prophecy. 16 books are in the 1st Testament and one book (Revelation) is in the 2nd Testament. There are also prophetic verses. In a nutshell the outline is the history of Israel and the Church. Many prophecies are already fulfilled, but there are also many prophecies that are being fulfilled at the moment or that still have to be fulfilled:

• Evangelism: ‘And this Good News about the Kingdom will be preached through all the world for a witness to all people; and THEN the end will come. (Matthew 24:14). Worldwide there are about 16,600 population groups, of which 6,700 (40%) are unreached (pioneersnederland.org).
• Total return of Jews from the four corners of the earth (Isaiah.11:12) and ‘not even leaving one of them behind’ (Ezekiel 39:28). There is not yet a total return, but meanwhile over 6,000,000 Jews have returned!
• Spiritual restoration of Israel and all of Israel preserved. It is special that after more than 2,000 years the Gospel is proclaimed in Israel again. A beginning of spiritual restoration, yet small, but God says: ‘and thus Israel will be preserved’ (Romans 11:25, Jeremiah 31:31-34, Ezekiel 37:10-14).
• Highway (Isaiah 19:23-24): ‘ When that time comes, there will be a highway between Egypt and Assyria. The people of these two countries will travel back and forth between them, and the two nations will worship together. When that time comes, Israel will rank with Egypt and Assyria, and these three nations will be a blessing to all the world’.
• Jew and non-Jew one in Yeshua. ‘There are other sheep which belong to me that are not in this sheep pen. I must bring them, too; they will listen to my voice, and they will become one flock with one shepherd.’ (John 10:16, Ephesians 2:15). At this moment, in many churches there is barely a relationship with the Messianic churches in Israel.
• Blessing from Jerusalem to the world (Acts 15:16, Isaiah 2:2-4).
• The war of Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 38:14-23).
• Total revelation of the antichrist (Revelations 13, Daniel 7, …).
• Siege of Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:2).
• Jesus’ return on the Mount of Olives (Matthew 23:38-39, Zechariah 12:9).
• Jesus’ battle against the nations (Zechariah 14:3).
• Removal of the ‘cloud of sorrow over that is hanging over the nations’ (Isaiah 25:7).

The above summery is incomplete and not chronological. It only gives an impression of what still has to happen. Let us be prepared for Jesus’ return and works as long as it is still day… Do you help too?